Repression-sensitization and its relation to measures of adjustment and conflict.

Abstract

THE QUESTION POSED WAS WHETHER THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REPRESSION-SENSITIZATION (R-S) AND ADJUSTMENT AND CONFLICT WAS LINEAR OR CURVILINEAR. AN ANALYSIS OF R-S PROTOCOLS OF 175 PATIENTS AT A MENTAL HEALTH CENTER AND 459 NONCLINICAL SS INDICATED THAT THE CLINICAL SS WERE MORE SENSITIZED. IN A 2ND STUDY, CONFLICT WAS MEASURED BY THE INCOMPLETE SENTENCE BLANK (ISB) AND AN ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE. THE R-S AND ISB SCORES OF 58 CLINICAL OUTPATIENTS WERE HIGHLY CORRELATED (R = .73, P < .01). THE R-S SCORES AND CONFLICT SCORES OBTAINED FROM THE ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE OF 95 INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS CORRELATED (R = .32, P < .01). THE RESULTS OF BOTH STUDIES TENDED TO SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN R-S AND ADJUSTMENT AND CONFLICT IS LINEAR. (18 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)